Originally Posted by Doctor Morbius
Chances are the short occasional MTB rides didn't do much to improve your fitness. So I'm assuming this past month was the first real month of riding any sort of distance regularly? That right?
Yup, that's right. Also I don't do any other sort of exercise, don't go to gym or anything. So maybe I'm doing a bit better than I thought... It's made more difficult as the weather in England is usually terrible, even in summer, but at least it should improve a bit now that spring is nearly here. Nothing more frustrating than crap weather when you're desperate to go out and ride.
my58vw - how many miles are you riding per week? How long can you maintain a steady 24 mph for on the flat, without drafting? You must be quite in shape, yet you're concerned about being ready for CAT5... I was under the impression that 5 is the absolute lowest category, and most low-level races are mixed CAT 4/5... surely not everyone in these races is super-fit? I was maybe vaguely considering doing some racing later in the year, but I think it will be a while before I can pull a 24 mph average for any serious distance.